His Majesty's oral decree:
Su Quan didn't mention any rules about receiving imperial edicts; he simply stated the emperor's will.
Qin Zhaoyue was dumbfounded. "No way, you just got back and you're already asking me to take on jobs?"
She was dumbfounded. So all her efforts in showing such attitude had been for nothing? And what kind of tasks were these?
"Eunuch Su, if I remember correctly, the autumn imperial examination is in the latter half of this month, right?"
Registration closed a long time ago, and you expect me to figure something out now?
That's right, His Majesty just gave us the task of getting women from aristocratic families and court officials to participate in the imperial examinations.
Su Quan nodded, clearly having expected this.
"Originally, yes, but His Majesty said beforehand that if there is a way to get them involved, the autumn examination can be postponed."
The readily available reason is flooding in three prefectures; considering the students' well-being, postponing the event is perfectly reasonable.
Qin Zhaoyue scratched her head. The provincial examination was equivalent to the provincial examination. Passing it made one a Juren, like Fan Jin who went mad.
Why? Because only after passing this exam could poor scholars and officials truly see the threshold of power and wealth.
Exemption from taxes and corvée labor—this privilege could be leased to landlords, and the income from leasing land was enough to make a living.
Officials should not kneel before them, and they should sit on equal footing with the county magistrate to discuss government affairs. Torture and forced confessions are strictly prohibited.
At the same time, it is also the starting point for obtaining the qualification to be selected as an official.
"Wait a minute!" Qin Zhaoyue realized.
"If those women from aristocratic families haven't participated in the imperial examinations and don't even have the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination), what right do they have to participate in the provincial-level examinations?"
She squinted at the old eunuch opposite her, "What's going on here?"
The introduction of the imperial examination for women is a national policy that His Majesty has been vigorously promoting.
If enough women achieve academic success, enter officialdom, and especially stand in the imperial court, there is a chance that the throne will continue to be preserved, regardless of whether it is a prince or a princess who succeeds to the throne.
This requirement clearly contradicts national policy, so there must be something wrong with it.
Su Quan was not surprised at all; according to common sense, he could tell that His Majesty's decree was indeed wrong.
Because he had been instructed in advance, he told the whole story:
"The Northern Shuofeng Dynasty intends to discuss a peace treaty with our dynasty. Their special envoy is already on his way, and one of them is the Second Princess of Shuofeng."
Previously, he kept a low profile, and the imperial court had very little information about him. He was said to be the last disciple of a great sage.
This time, I am writing to Your Majesty to admire the great literary talent of the Great Qian Dynasty and to request to participate in the women's imperial examination.
Not only her, but also noblewomen from the four border regions joined in submitting the petition.
Qin Zhaoyue curled her lip, "Admire my ass, this guy is obviously up to no good."
Su Quan's temples throbbed with anger. For a princess to speak in such a vulgar manner was truly appalling.
"So, anyone can see that there's something wrong with it."
Qin Zhaoyue put her mind to work; she had a very clear understanding of herself.
He is somewhat clever and has a broad range of knowledge.
However, this kind of national-level game still needs careful consideration, and the political literacy inherent in the blood of the Chinese people should be stimulated.
The other man's second son might actually be quite talented and confident that he could slap all the female test-takers in the face.
The Da Gan people habitually refer to the Shuofeng Dynasty as the Northern Barbarians. They have been promoting women's education for so many years, but then someone from that country comes out and surpasses all the women. Isn't that a slap in the face?
But that's certainly the most superficial reason; the deeper one...
"Are the memorials from the four border regions submitted together or separately?"
“In recent years, local nobles have been petitioning for a separation.”
The four border regions were previously inhabited by barbarians, but after the Great Gan Dynasty conquered the territory, it implemented a policy of education and civilization.
Because it was located on the border, it was used for raising horses and training soldiers.
Over the years, the influence of those nobles has diminished considerably.
Most of them served as soldiers or were contracted to raise horses for the imperial court.
Although not of slave status, they could not leave their homeland without permission, and their children were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations.
Among the border regions, the most dangerous is the Ziwei Road in the Northern Court, because it borders the Shuofeng Dynasty.
Qin Zhaoyue didn't believe this was purely a coincidence; she just hadn't figured out the connection yet.
"How are the students admitted to Zhongchendao this year?"
Since they intend to participate in the women's imperial examination, it is naturally Zhongchen Dao, where Fengjing is located.
"We've already investigated, and there's no one with great talent."
Qin Zhaoyue sighed.
Promoting women's education and participation in imperial examinations was one aspect, which sounded like an excellent opportunity for women, but in reality, it was not.
In ordinary farming households, farm households, and merchant households, if their family circumstances do not allow for education, men almost always have to go before women.
The mindset is deeply ingrained, but even after more than a decade, only a small minority have truly achieved self-reliance.
There are environmental factors as well as internal reasons.
For those from aristocratic families and high-ranking officials, the cost of education was naturally not a big deal, and many families would hire tutors for their daughters or have them study in clan schools.
However, not many of them were actually sent to the imperial examination system, and the reasons for this are complicated.
In short, if the next emperor is not a woman, then the women's imperial examination is very likely to be a joke.
Taking the imperial examinations and entering officialdom will be easy, but by then, the status of female officials will be in a very awkward position.
The higher the official position, the more awkward it becomes; it's better to stay out of this mess.
Knowledge is monopolized, especially at higher levels.
The knowledge that the children of a peasant gained through reading classics, history, philosophy, and poetry;
One was the descendant of a high-ranking official in the literati, and he received guidance from a renowned teacher.
Among these people might be the emperor's protégés, or even those who set the exam papers;
They grew up surrounded by political influences, with their elders handling official business. Over a decade or so, they developed a keen political sense.
While other impoverished scholars could not even step out of their hometowns, they had already traveled thousands of miles.
Even if two types of people read the same books, can their accumulated knowledge be the same? Can their policy essays be the same?
While it cannot be denied that there are exceptionally gifted individuals, they are a very small minority, and the overall differences are enormous.
The daughters of high-ranking officials in Shilin did not participate in the imperial examinations, so what about the top scholars from ordinary families?
Putting aside everything else, how many women are still able to attend the morning court sessions after more than a decade?
Looking at the current situation, the quality of students is generally not high, and we're just waiting for the second princess of the Shuofeng Dynasty to come and slap us in the face.
"Sixth Prince, do you have any ideas about this matter?"
Qin Zhaoyue nodded. "Simple."
Upon hearing this, Su Quan immediately became excited.
Despite the Sixth Prince's unreliable behavior and infuriating words, he is well aware that he has contributed to disaster relief efforts on numerous occasions.
Forget about the previous insults, he quickly asked, "Sixth Prince, please tell me, what's the solution?"
"Naiyizute".
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
